Flying-machine.



A. G. WATKINS.

I FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rmm4, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17,1912,

2 sums-skim 1.

amen H701 A. G. WATKINS.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED PEB.24, 1 912.

H Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

".U TED. STATES PATENT osn "anrriun e. wa'rxnvs, or mncn'amcseune,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR or one,

rounrn ro DAVID J. BErrznL, or uncnamcsnvne, PENNSYLVANIA.

I Innate-Macrame.

Applicationiiled February 24,1912.) Serial No. 679,570.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. WATKINS,

a.citiz'en. of the United States, residin at Mechanicsburg, in thecounty of Cum erland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the heavier-than-air class,and particularly to means for automatically 'maintain ing the lateralstability of such machine. The object of the invention is to provide amachine in which the body of the machine, including the supportingsurface, is pivotally mounted upon its carriage or chassis, .whereby thelatter is adapted to serve as astabilizing pendulum, suitableconnections between said body and carriage being provided, whereby thelateral swing of the body in either direction islimited and the bodycontrolled to automatically restore and maintain its lateralequilibrium.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine. structure'ofthe character described in which the controlling connec- 'tions betweenthe body and carriage are adapted to oppose a yielding resistance to apivotal motion of the body in either direction, and in whichcooperating. means controlledby said connections are employed to returnthe body to a balanced position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide fenders forsupporting the body against tilting motion beyond a predetermined extentwhen'the machine is upon the ground, which fenders are adapted to yield"to permit the body to swing to a sufiicient .construction, combinationand arrangement. of parts, hereinafter fully described and extent tocompensate for jars, vibrations, etc. .The invention consists of thefeatures of claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 1s a front elevation of a flying I I machine of thebiplane type embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is acentral verticallongit'udinal section of the same on the line 22iof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atop plan viewof the machine with portions broken away to disclose thebalancing devices. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view ofone of the bed rails, showing the reinforcin longitudinal sectionthrough the foremost bed rail, lead edge of the-supporting surface andthe adjacent portion of the carriage. Fig. 6 1s a diagrammatic View ofthe balancing device and controllingcables. Fig.

7 is a detail section on the line 77 of Fig.

1, showing the mode of mounting one of the supporting fenders;

In the illustrated embodiment I have shown the application of theinvention to a biplane structure, although it is to be understood thatit may be applied to other multiplane structures or to machines of themono- .plane type. v

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the machine,including the mainframe and supporting surface or surfaces, -which bodyis provided on opposite sides of its longitudinal center. with balancingdevices 2 and 3, herein shown in the form of ailerons, although othersuitable balancing agents may be employed.

Secured to the underside of the frame of the body-is a series of,preferably three, bed

rails 4, which are arranged equidistantly betweenv the fore and aft.edges of the body and in parallel relation. Each of. these bed railsispreferably made of a body of wood having strength and lightness andprovided with grooves or recesses 5 in which are fitted reinforcingplates 6. These plates are secured in position in any suitable mannerandare provided wlth central enlargements,

through which enlargements and the center of the body of the rail areformed register:

ing openings 7 and 8. In practice, after the strips are secured inposition, each bed rail ispreferably given a coat of bronze and thenprovided with a film of copper by electrodeposition, so that the stripwill be reinforced against transverse strains and provided with asurface coating which will be ruptured whenever the rail is split orbroken,

The

reinforcing strips in thebed rails are. so dis: posed that the force orpressure to which the to give visual evidence of such fact.

'.-The openings 7 and 8 in the reinforcing plates removed therefrom.Fig. 5 is a detail.

strips and bed rails are provided for the passage of a longitudinallyextending shaft 9 mounted upon the apex of a stubstantially triangularcarriage or chassis 10, whereby the body as awhole is pivotally mounted'normally maintain a position perpendicular to the earths' surface, andto thereby perfoym the function of a pendulum weight 6r le er to controlthe pivotal motion of the body and maintain the lateral stabilitythereof through suitable connections, which I will now proceed todescribe.

Extending from the right and left hand sides of the carriage andconnecting the same with the corresponding sides of the body areflexible controlling cables or connections 12 and 13, which are coupledat their inner ends to the body at points between the base and topthereof and thence incline laterally outwardly and upwardly and areattached at their outer ends to the body at suitable points between theaxis 9 and the lateral margins of the body, wheresion, so that whenthe'body tilts laterally in either direction the cables at thedescending side will, through the arc of motion of their outer ends,which will be eccentric to the axis of motion of the body 1, be placedunder a constantly increasing tension, where by said cables willbe'caused to set up a resistance to the tilting of the body and limitits tilting motion to a determined extent, as will be readilyunderstood. It will be understood fromthe foregoing description thataseith'er side of-thebody is forced upward by excess air pressure or bya decrease" in the supporting effect of the air on the opposite side ofthe body, the cables at the lifting side will be placed under tensionand operate to' oppose a determined resistance to the tilting of thebody, which will be all that is necessary under normal'conditions toprevent the body from tilting laterally to an excessive degree and: toreturn it to itsnormal position whereby an automatic equi librium willbe maintained. In order, how, ever, to render the balancingaction morecertain and effective and to provide for a balancing action underabnormal conditions,

the balancing devices 2 and 3 are suitably coupled to the connections 12and 13 so as tobe operated therebywhen the body tilts to cooperatetherewith in efi'ecting'a return ofthe body toastate of equilibrium,

shown, suitable connections 14 lead from the cables-12 at the right handside over guide pulleys 15 to the balancing device 3 at the left handside, while similar connections 16 extend from the cables 13. at theleft hand side o-ver suitable guide pulleys 17 todthe balancing. device2 at the rlght hand s! e.

vbe in the form of wires or cables, .cross and extend at an intermediatepoint transversely of the" carriage, but'out of contact therewith so asto avoid interference in the shifting of the parts.

movement in unison, so that when one is positively operated in onedirection the other will, be actuated'thereby to move in the reversedirection. The cables 14, 16 and 18 are coupled to crank arms 19 carriedby V the balancing devices, which latter normally These connections 14and 16, which A wire or cable 18 also connects the two balancing devicesfor lie at a negative angle of incidence and are pivotally mounted inadvance of their transverse centers in such manner that a pivotal motionof either balancing device in which its forward edge moves upwardly andits rear edge moves. downwardly will increase the angle of incidencethereof to secure a; lifting' efiect, while a reverse motion of thebalancing device will. position it for a depressing effect. by theswinging motion of the body is con- It" will be observed that thearrangement of thecables 16 is suchthat when the cables '13 aretensioned to a certain degree by the upward movement of the lefthand'side of the body, said cables 16 will'bedrawn upon to adjust thebalancing device 2 for a lifting action, while at-the'same time thecables 14 will slacken with the cables 12, to allow the balancing-device3 to beadjusted for a de-" pressing effect, which ;will be accomplishedby the pull thereon from the cable 18 tensioned by the adjustment of thebalancing device 2. You the other hand, when the cables 12 are tensionedto a certain degree by the upward movement of the right hand side of thebody, the cables 15 will be tens'ioned and caused to adjust thebalancing device 3 fora lifting action, while the cables 13 and 16 willslacken to permit the balanc ing device 2 to be adjusted for adepressing effect, which will be accomplished through the tensioning ofthe cable 18 by the balancing device 3. .Hence when the machinetiltslaterally in either direction, the-controlling cables connecting thecarriagefwith the lifting side of the machine will oppose a resistanceto such motion of saidmachi'ne and tend to draw it backward to normalposition, while at the same time, when such tilting motion of themachine tensions said controlling cables to a predetermined degree, theoperating wires or cables associated therewith will be actuated toadjust the balancing. device at the ascending sid fora, depressingeffect and the balancing part of the present invention. The machine maybe equipped with any desired type of propelling mechanism and powerplant and suitable vertical and horizontal rudders, controlled by anypreferred type of controlling mechanism. Also the parts may be varied inform,character' and arrangement as circumstances may require in theapplication of the invention to different types of machines. are'held tofall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

In order to prevent undue lateral motion of'the supporting surface fromshocks, jars or vibrations, I provide at each endor lateral margin ofthe body one or more fenders 19. These fenders, which may consist ofrods or bars, are pivotally attached tothe body, as at 20, to swingrearwardly from a normally perpendicular position, stop surfaces 21and22 on the fender and body being provided to prevent the fender fromswinging forward beyond a perpendicular position. WVhen the machine isat rest and the body normally horizontal, the fenders stand vertical andsupport the ends of the body and hold the same from tilting motion. Thenthe machine is in motion on the ground, during the act of launching orlanding it, the fenders drag along the, ground surface and prevent thebody from tilting unduly under the running shocks and jarsp If themachine should tilt in either direction, the fender at the descendingside is permitted by its pivotal mounting to swing rearwardly at asuflicient angle to prevent damage to the parts, while at the-same timeopposing'a resistance to the depression of such side of the machinebeyond a predetermined extent.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In-a flying machine, the combination of a body, a carriage, said bodyand carriage being pivotally connected to swing laterally with relationto each other, balancing devices upon the body, elastic connectionsbetween the carriage and the body for limiting the swinging motions ofthe latter, and flexible connections between the first named flexibleconnections and the balancing devices for controlling thelatter when thebody swings out of laterally balanced position. 1

' 2. In a flying machine, the combination Copies of this patent may beobtained for These and other modifications of a body, a carriage, saidbody and carrlage being p votally connected to swing laterally withrelation to each other, balancing devices upon the body, elasticconnections between the carriage and opposite sides of the body forcontrolling the pivotal motions of the latter, and flexible connectionsbetween the balancing devices and elastic connections and adaptedto betensioned when the elastic connections are tensioned to a determineddegree for adjustment of the balancing devices, when the body movesioutof a laterally balanced position to a predetermined degree.

3. In a flying machine, the combination of a body, a carriage, said bodyand carriage being pivotally connected for lateral swinging movementswith relation to each other, balancing devices upon the body, elasticcontrolling connections between the sides of the carriage and oppositesides of the body and adapted to be tensioned by the swinging movementsof the. body to limit suchmovements thereof, andfiexible connectionsleading from the balancing devices to said elastic connections, theflexible connection from the balancing device at-each side of the bodybeing. coupled to the elastic connection at. the opposite side of thevbody, saidflexible connections being tensioned when said elasticconnections are tensioned to a predetermined degree to adjust saidbalancing devices,

4. In a flying machine, the combination of a body, balancing devicesupon the body, bed rails secured to the under side of the body and eachhaving a reinforcing plate embedded therein and extending edgewise in avertical direction, a pivot bolt passing through the bed rails andreinforcing plates, a carriage pivotally mounted upon said bolt, so asto permit the body to swing laterally with relation thereto, andcontrolling connect-io'ns between the carriage and body.

5. In a flying machine, a carriage, a body pivoted to tilt laterallythereon, elastic cables connecting the carriage with the opposite sidesof the body-and adapted to be respectively tensioned by the upwardmotion of the adjacent side of the body to limit the swinging motion ofthe body, lateral balancing devices up pn the body, and connectionsbetween the first-named connections and the balancing devices foradjusting the latter five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents, Washington, D. G.

